


From Stranger to Confidante

by PJ1228



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Gen, Pre-Dark Knight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-29
Updated: 2004-02-29
Packaged: 2017-10-21 18:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PJ1228/pseuds/PJ1228
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A pre "Dark Knight" story</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Stranger to Confidante

**Author's Note:**

> Forever Knight and its characters were created by Barney Cohen and J.D. Parriott and are copyright to Sony/Tristar. None of the characters in this story belongs to me. I'm just borrowing them temporarily. No infringement intended. No profit is being made.
> 
> Special thanks to Doris for beta reading.
> 
> Timeline: After the flashback of "Only the Lonely"

**From Stranger to Confidante**  
by PJ  
February 2004

It had been a week since the stranger had jumped off her autopsy table and turned her universe upside down. Natalie had not seen or heard anything from him since the following evening when she had met him on the street and offered her help. He had regarded her a long moment with his hooded blue eyes before stating that he would consider it. Then he had left.

Natalie was beginning to believe that all had been a dream. Damn, she did not even know his name.

She had spent the next evening in the library, grabbing what literature she could find on the topic of the undead. When she came home from work she kept reading long after dawn, often wondering what was legend and what was true. But obviously it all had been a waste of time since the object of her would-be research did not show up again. With a sigh she had returned the books to the library and continued with her nightly routine of work and the reading of scientific journals.

* * *

She was just turning from the sink when she nearly collided with him. "Jeez, can't you just knock like anybody else?" she scolded after she had recovered from his sudden appearance.

"But I am not anybody else," he answered.

"Of course. How did you get in here anyway? What did you tell the security man?"

"Nothing. He did not see me."

Nat stared at him questioningly, waiting for a more thorough explanation. When none was forthcoming she asked, "So you have decided to let me help you?"

"Do you have any idea what you are getting into, Doctor?" he asked.

"I'm a doctor who tries to find a cure for a somewhat peculiar disease," she summarized her view of the experiment.

"But do not assume that you can post your findings in any kind of scientific journal, Doctor. Everything that we do must remain secret," he said in a serious voice.

"Any information exchanged between doctors and patients is usually confidential," she assured him.

"Your life may depend on it," he emphasised. When she looked at him questioningly he explained, "It is a law in our community not to reveal what we are to mortals. There are those who enforce this law. The lives of those who break it are forfeited if they find out about it."

"Well, they won't find out anything from me if that is your concern."

"Nevertheless, your life will be in constant danger from the moment you accept to work with me."

"I said I won't tell anybody." How often did she have to reassure him of her secrecy?

"And that was not what I meant. The greatest threat you will have do deal with will be me."

Nat stared at him. He looked so harmless with his blue eyes. She could not understand why he would be any threat for her. "Do you want to harm me?" she asked. "Kill me?"

He shook his head, his eyes full of anguish. "No, but I might anyway."

Nat swallowed. "Okay, I think I have to deal with that when it comes," she said, trying not to sound unsettled.

"Very well," he said, having obviously made up his mind now.

"Where do you wish to start, Doctor?"

"By a proper introduction. My name is Natalie."

He hesitated.

"If you are going to be my patient, I have to call you by a name," she said, slightly annoyed at his reluctance.

"Nick. My name is Nick," he replied after a pause.

Nat smiled. "Fine, Nick. Before I can think of changing your condition I need information. I need to know what makes you live."

"I can't tell you everything," he stated. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about taking your vitals, like pulse, blood pressure, temperature? Later I will need a blood sample and a skin sample. And I need you to tell me what is truth and what is legend in the vampire lore."

Nick had listened with growing alarm. "You may take my vitals, but giving you my blood is out of the question. And I shouldn't tell you more than necessary about us."

"Jeez, Nick, you are the most stubborn patient I ever had," Natalie exclaimed. "How shall I change your condition when I have no idea about its current state?"

That moment the lab door opened and Grace entered, regarding her with concern. Nat took a look around and found herself alone in the room talking to the wall.

"Honey, is everything alright? I thought I heard you talking in here."

"Ah, no, Grace. Everything is fine. Do we have another patient?" she asked flustered.

"Yep, I came to ask if you are ready for the post on Mr. Delgado?"

"Just give me five more minutes before you bring him in, okay?"

"Sure", Grace replied and left the lab.

Natalie took a deep breath. "Great," she muttered. "Any more of this and she will start telling me I'm in need of a vacation again. Now where was I?"

"You were telling me about your plans," a soft voice spoke behind her, causing her to jump.

"Nick!" she squeaked. "You better stop that if you don't wish the whole department to know about your existence."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"How did you manage to vanish so quickly?" she wanted to know. "Wait a minute, you can't turn into a bat, can you?"

A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "No, you have watched too many movies, Doctor."

"Well, I guess the same applies for flying. Too bad."

There was an odd gleam in his eyes but he refrained from any comments.

"Listen," Natalie continued. "We won't be undisturbed in here any longer. Actually, it's a wonder that Grace did not interrupt earlier. This place is usually kind of busy."

"Is there any other place where we might continue?"

"Well, I'm off at 6.00 a.m. Why don't you come back then?"

"I'm afraid, I can't. Sunrise is at 5.50."

"Oh, I haven't thought about that," she said, realizing the difficulty of the situation.

There was an odd pause before he said, "If you don't mind, you could come to my place after your shift ends."

Natalie hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement. "Okay, and that would be?"

"101 Gateway Lane. It's an old warehouse with a water tower on top."

"Good, I will be there as soon as I'm finished here."

He gave her a nod and moved to the door where he listened briefly before slipping outside.

* * *

It was already light outside when Natalie drove along Gateway Lane in search for number 101. It was not hard to find, the water tower setting a significant landmark. Looking up, she noticed that the windows of the upper floor were all covered with heavy shutters. She approached the door and pressed the only button that was installed beside a keypad.

"Yes?" a voice answered over the speaker.

"It's me, Natalie," she replied, feeling slightly awkward.

"Come on up. Take the elevator to the second floor," the voice instructed.

Natalie did as she was told. She rode up in an old freight elevator that made not too trustworthy noises. When it stopped, the heavy door was pulled aside by Nick, who awaited her.

Natalie stepped into the loft and looked around in amazement. The place was huge. The windows were covered with blinds, there were lots of candelabras, some of them lighted, casting a warm glow through the lower level. Though there were several lamps lit as well, the overall aspect of the loft was more dark than light. The many recesses remained hidden in a shadowy gloom. Natalie noticed a grand piano that took in one portion of the room, in another corner she could make out an easel and a table laden with painting equipment. Nick seemed to be a man of many talents, she thought. Her gaze lingered a moment in awe on a wonderfully carved mantelpiece before she called herself to reason. She did not want to appear too nosy and focused her attention on her host. "Hi, this place is amazing," she commented.

"It fits my needs," came the monotonous reply.

Natalie walked over to a kitchen table and set her bag on it. Studying the scarcely equipped kitchen for a while she asked, "You don't happen to have any coffee? It's been a long night for me."

Nick looked slightly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I'm not equipped for mortal company," he said in an apologizing tone.

"Never mind. This shouldn't take too long anyway." She rummaged in her bag and retrieved a book and a pen. "Why don't we start with your vitals. Sit down, please," she requested. "I'm going to take your pulse rate first."

Nick did as he was bid and held out his hand. She placed her finger at his wrist and looked on her watch and waited. After a while she furrowed her brows and tried another position on his wrist. When nothing happened she looked at him confused. "You have no pulse", she stated.

"You just missed it. There will be another one in ten minutes."

"Your heart only beats once in ten minutes?" she asked incredulously.

"That's what I counted."

"Uhu," Nat mumbled and waited. Finally her face lit up and she checked her watch again. "You are right. That's amazing." She took the pen and wrote some figures in her book. Next she wrapped a blood pressure band around his wrist.

"Hm", she said after a glance at the results. "Your blood pressure is almost non-existent." Again she jotted down some notes.

Temperature was next. She stuck a thermometer into his mouth and repeated the experiment after an incredulous glance at the scale. "You are cold," she said.

"I told you I am dead," he commented flatly.

"Oh no, I don't believe that," she replied enthusiastically. "Aren't you freezing?"

"No, neither warmth nor cold bother me."

"Uhu. Are you really 800 years old?" she wanted to know.

The shadow of a smile played around his lips. "Almost. I became a vampire in 1228, when I returned from the Crusades."

Nat stared at him open mouthed. "That's fantastic. I mean, all the things you've seen, all the knowledge you've gained and the people you've met."

"All the people I've seen dying, you mean. Believe me, there is more pain than anything else when you live that long." His eyes had gotten a strange far away look.

Natalie supposed that he was reliving an old memory. She checked her watch. "Okay, I think that's it for now. If you don't mind I would like to come back tomorrow after work and talk some more."

He snapped back to the present. "Sure," he replied and walked her to the door.

* * *

When Natalie entered the loft the next morning she was surprised to smell fresh coffee. She noticed a brand new coffee maker on the kitchen board. "You didn't buy this because of me?" she asked astonished.

"As a matter of fact I did. I don't have much use for it myself."

"That wasn't necessary, Nick. But I appreciate the gesture," she smiled at him and proceeded to pour a mug for herself."

Looking around for any milk, she moved towards the refrigerator. Before she could open the door she was intercepted by Nick. "What? I was only looking for milk."

Nick looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh, I'm afraid I forgot to buy that."

"Never mind. Just what are you hiding in your fridge that you won't let me take a look?"

"Nothing, just --- food", he answered with his eyes cast on the floor.

"That brings me to my next line of questioning," she said, taking out her book. "What exactly are you eating?" When no answer occurred immediately, she added: "I need to know in order to find out how your digestion works." She could see from his fidgeting that this was a topic he obviously felt very uncomfortable talking about.

"I'm a vampire. What do you think I am eating?"

"Well, I've seen you drink blood after you jumped from my table but is there nothing else?"

"If there was anything else, I would not be in this hell," he replied harshly.

"Have you tried to eat anything else?" Nat asked timidly, slightly taken aback by his ferocity.

"I can't keep anything down. I tried a few times and always ended up being sick."

She could hear all the frustration in his voice. On impulse she reached out and squeezed his hand.

His first response was to draw his hand away but he liked the warmth of her hand touching his and allowed a slight smile to grace his features.

Natalie watched the emotions playing on his face in amazement. "Nick," she began hesitantly. "How, I mean, where ---"

This time he did pull back his hand and stood from the table. "You mean, where do I procure my nourishment?"

She nodded, half dreading the answer.

"Don't worry, I don't need to kill anymore to get what I need."

Natalie felt a slight chill creeping up her back as his voice was suddenly totally void of emotion.

"I have an agreement with a stockyard that supplies me with cow's blood."

Nat's spirits rose at this again. "Then it does not have to be human?" she asked.

"No, it does not have to be human," Nick confirmed with an odd longing in his voice.

When Nat looked at him she thought she saw a flicker of gold dancing in his eyes but when he blinked it was replaced by the most fathomless blue she had ever seen.

"I think you should go now," he said suddenly, his voice sounding strangely rough.

"But I just got here. I have not even started my examination," Natalie protested.

"I know, but something's come up. I have to ask you to leave." The way he said it allowed no refusal. He moved to the elevator and pulled the door open.

Natalie shrugged and picked up her belongings.

As soon as the elevator door closed, Nick moved in a flash to the fridge and pulled out a green bottle. Drawing the cork out with his teeth he spit it in a corner and upended the bottle, taking long swallows. When it was empty he sat down, breathing heavily. That was too close, he thought. Talking about the blood had made him extremely hungry. He eyed the bottle with disgust before flinging it against the elevator door where it shattered into innumerable little pieces.

* * *

Natalie lay awake in her bed. Thoughts of her new patient kept her from finding any sleep. She still knew so little about him, far too little to come up with a plan on changing his condition. He seemed to be a difficult man to deal with. That much she was able to tell already from the encounters she had had. His moods obviously changed from one moment to another. It was impossible to tell how he would react the next minute.

But he was desperate. His eyes had told her that much although he probably was not aware of it. She would not give up easily, she vowed, even if he continued to throw her out at the slightest provocation.

Having made up her mind, she finally managed to drift into sleep.

* * *

The following evening Natalie woke up with a headache. She made it through her shift valiantly and despite being extremely tired by morning she did not want to miss her date. She needed to see him after his rather odd behaviour the previous night.

When she stepped out of the elevator, the scent of fresh coffee again permeated the loft, causing her spirits to rise. "Hm, that smells wonderful. Exactly what I need right now," she commented.

"I also have milk for you today," he stated.

"Thanks, that's really sweet," she beamed, pouring a spoonful of milk into her mug.

"Would you excuse me for a moment? I was just talking on the phone. Make yourself comfortable. This should not take too long."

"Sure, no problem," Natalie said and watched him disappear with his phone into a room upstairs. She carried her mug over to the couch and sat down, letting her head rest comfortably against the back.

On his return, Nick found her fast asleep on the couch. He considered waking her for a moment. This was no place for a mortal to fall asleep. She was much too trusting for her own good. But she seemed in terrible need of sleep. Moving to a drawer he retrieved a comforter which he gently placed over her. Then he pulled two bottles out of the fridge to take upstairs. On an afterthought he pressed a button on a remote, opening the blinds just a bit so that the couch was caught in sunlight.

* * *

Natalie woke with a start. When she got her bearings, she realized that she was still at the loft. She must have fallen asleep on Nick's couch. Her host was nowhere around. She wondered why the blinds were open, probably for her convenience so that she was not left in the dark. She contemplated to leave but instead reclined and fell back asleep.

Nick lay awake in his bedroom, counting the heartbeats of his mortal guest. He did not trust himself to fall asleep for fear he might harm her before he was fully awake.

Once, the heart rate changed, telling him that she had woken up. He hoped that she would simply leave but obviously she fell asleep again.

The two bottles he had taken upstairs were long gone and he felt the first stirrings of renewed hunger. With a sigh he rose from the bed and dressed in his red robe. Peeking down from the gallery he saw Natalie still slumbering peacefully on his couch, a beam of sunlight casting her hair in a wonderful glow. Outstepping the beam of light he flew down into the kitchen. He took out a bottle and poured a wineglass. Then he sat down at his kitchen table and started to savour his breakfast, never taking his eyes from the beautiful apparition on his couch.

* * *

Natalie stirred from her sleep. The loft was cast in an eerie gloom, the last rays of the sun fading. She sat up and tried to make out any objects. Her eyes suddenly focused on Nick who sat staring at her in the shadows at his kitchen table, drinking a dark liquid from a wineglass. "Nick?" she asked. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on your couch. Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked like you needed your sleep. Perhaps it is egoistic on my part to keep you up after your work."

"No, that's alright," Nat hastened to assure him.

"You must be hungry. Can I order you anything?"

"That's not necessary. I can stop at a Chinese take out on the way to work."

"I just robbed you of your entire spare time. The least I can do is to procure some food for you," he insisted.

Natalie considered the offer for a moment. "Okay. Can I use your bathroom to freshen up a little bit?"

"Sure", Nick said and nodded to a door that led into the downstairs bathroom. After Nat had vanished inside, he called a Chinese restaurant he knew that was doing deliveries and ordered a whole menu for Natalie.

* * *

When Nat re-emerged from the bathroom, the loft was lit with several candles. On the kitchen table there was a plate laid out for her and a mug of fresh coffee beside it. Before she had the chance to comment the doorbell rang.

Nick went over to the speaker. Natalie noticed now that there must be a camera on the front door as she saw a monitor showing a Chinese delivery man waiting outside. Nick pressed a button to release the doorlock and moments later the elevator door revealed the delivery man who carried a large bag. Before he had the chance to take a curious look around Nick had handed him a bill and sent him away. He carried the bag over to the table and began to unload several boxes.

"My God, Nick, are you going to join me? Because I cannot possibly eat all that." She wished she had worded her statement differently because his face clouded over instantly.

"I wish I could," he replied quietly.

Nat padded his hand affectionately. "One day you will, Nick. I'm sure of it." Then she sat down and began to devour her meal. Despite her doubts she managed to almost finish it, only now realizing how hungry she was.

Nick had sat down opposite from her occasionally sipping from his glass.

Nat shot him curious glances now and then. "So it comes in bottles?" she ventured to ask after a while.

Nick stared at her in silence before replying. "Yeah, makes it a little more distinguished."

"How much do you need per day?" Nat asked.

"That depends. I can live on a bottle a day but if I want to be truly sated, it has to be five litres."

"That's about the amount of blood of a living person," Nat noted absent-mindedly.

"I know," Nick stated solemnly, causing Nat suddenly to realize that according to that estimate he had probably drained one body a night.

She suppressed a shiver as her mind refused to calculate what that meant in 800 years. No, she had to focus on the present. She would judge him by his actions now and not by what he had done in the past.

They both continued in silence. After a while Nat spoke again. "Nick, I need a sample of your blood if I'm ever going to solve your problem."

Again he stared at her. Just when Nat fortified herself for another denial he asked, "How much would you need?"

"For now, just a vial, 10 cc perhaps. I don't understand. What's the big problem?"

Nick took a deep breath. "For a vampire, giving blood is a very personal thing."

Nat waited for a more detailed explanation, but obviously Nick was not in the mood to give her one. "So, do you mind if I take a sample now?" she asked a little impatient.

"Please not now," Nick said resolutely. "Maybe tomorrow. Would you come by tomorrow?"

Nat let her breath out slowly. For someone who wanted to be cured so desperately he was a very reluctant patient.

"Alright. But no other excuses then."

"I promise," he said.

Nat gathered her belongings, thanked him for the food and left, driving over to her apartment for a shower and a quick change of clothes before heading back to work.

Nick took out another bottle from the fridge and drained half of it. Then he returned into his bedroom and soon fell into a much needed sleep.

* * *

Natalie came in the morning as promised. When she entered the loft she found him fully dressed. She went to the kitchen table and searched in her bag for a needle, a tube and a vial. Having set out her instruments, she looked expectantly at Nick. "Well?" she said.

Reluctantly he rolled up his sleeve and held his arm out for her.

"I promise to be gentle," she joked before rubbing disinfectant on his arm. Carefully she slid the needle inside and filled a small vial. After she had removed the tube she pressed a tissue onto the wound and searched for some tape.

Before she could fix it, Nick had removed the tissue stating, "I won't need that."

"But I don't want you to complain about your shirt getting spoiled with ---" Nat stopped in midsentence and stared at his arm where no trace of any wound was seen. When she looked back at Nick he shrugged casually and rolled his sleeve back down.

"I heal pretty fast. That's why the pipe bomb didn't kill me."

Natalie was astonished. "That's amazing. I have to take a look at your skin tissue the next time. For now I have all I wanted. I will do some tests tonight and might be able to tell you something tomorrow." She put everything back into her bag and made her way over to the elevator.

"Natalie," Nick called after her. "Be careful with that. Don't let it get into anybody's hands. And don't get it into your system."

Nat frowned. She had enough experience in the lab that she did not need him to tell her how to handle a sample! "Sure," she quipped and stepped into the lift.

* * *

Back at her apartment she thought it best to store the vial in her refrigerator until she would drive to the lab in the evening. As she took it from her bag and crossed the room to her kitchen a beam of sunlight fell on the vial. Nat stared in horror as the blood inside suddenly started to bubble and boil. After a few seconds a thin layer of ash was all that was left in the vial.

"Oh my God", she stuttered and sat down heavily.

* * *

This time she dreaded the hour when she would face Nick again. How should she explain what happened to his blood? She was a nervous wreck by the time she rode up in his elevator. When it stopped she took a deep breath to calm herself, trying to look as indifferent as always.

Nick, however, was not to be fooled by her outer appearance. The moment he listened to her elevated heartbeat as she rode up in the lift, he knew that something was wrong. He waited until she had sat down in the kitchen before asking, "What's wrong?"

Nat stared at him. She was sure she had not betrayed anything by her facial expression. "What makes you think that something is wrong?"

"You seem to be rather nervous today," Nick replied.

"Okay, you are right," she admitted. "Something happened to your sample."

Nick stared at her in disbelief. "I told you to handle it carefully," he scolded. "What happened?" He fervently hoped that nobody else had gotten hold of it. There would be a lot of cleaning up to do. How could she let anything happen to it after he had trusted her?

Natalie was slightly taken aback by his angry stance. "When I arrived home I intended to store it in the fridge in order to keep it cold until I was able to examine it. While I was carrying it, it simply evaporated, leaving nothing but ashes."

Nick stared at her. "That's all?"

Natalie nodded slowly, watching relief wash over Nick's face.

"There is no need to be upset then, Natalie."

"But I am. I feel responsible for spoiling your sample after the warnings you have given me."

"That's not your fault. I should have warned you not to expose it to sunlight."

"Then you knew that this would happen?" she asked in disbelief.

"I don't know what happens to the blood itself when exposed to sunlight but I do know that it is generally unhealthy for me." For demonstration he opened the blinds a tiny bit and held his index finger into a beam of light. Almost instantly it started to smoke. He quickly removed it and closed the blinds again.

Nat grabbed his hand and examined the burned finger, watching in amazement as the scorches faded until no mark was left. "So the part with the sunlight is true then," she said after she had recovered.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Perhaps it is best if I take another sample directly at the lab. Do you think you could come by tonight? Anytime after midnight."

"Yes, I can manage that. I'll see you then," Nick said, leading her to the door.

Before stepping into the lift, Nat turned back to him. "Considering your problem with sunlight, I appreciate it that you left the blinds open for my convenience yesterday," she remarked.

"It was not for your convenience," he informed her. "It was for your safety."

"Oh?" she gasped confused.

"I hoped the light would stop me in case I woke up hungry. It was very careless of you to fall asleep when I'm around, Natalie. I could easily have taken advantage of you then."

"But you didn't," Natalie said, sounding more convinced than she actually felt. "I'll see you tonight, Nick."

Nick stared after her as she stepped into the lift. Knowing what he was, how could she trust him more than he did himself? He was certain that one day her trust in him would be her undoing.

* * *

Natalie was in the middle of an autopsy and at the point of extracting a bullet when a voice spoke softly from behind.

"38 mm, point blank shot in the head, looks like you have a victim of organized crime here."

Nat jumped and dropped the bullet, staring as Nick caught it in midair. "Hey, you should be a detective. I didn't know you were familiar with these things," she remarked.

Nick allowed the shadow of a smile to grace his features. "I've worked for the police on occasion."

"Really? You want to tell me more about that?" Natalie asked intrigued. Until now she had gained only very little knowledge about the way he passed his time.

"Maybe another time. I see that you are busy. Perhaps I should come back later?"

"Oh no, Mr. Andrews won't go anywhere. At least that's what I hope," she joked.

"I assure you he won't," Nick said in the same tone. It amazed him how she could keep up her humour when constantly dealing with the dead. "I would sense it if he were one of us."

"Uhu," Nat said, storing another piece of information in her mind. She moved to a cupboard and retrieved the items she needed for taking a sample from Nick. When she was done she stored the vial in a compartment of the fridge that carried her name and had an extra lock.

Nick looked at her questioningly. "Do you think it is safe there? Does nobody else have a key to that?"

"Don't worry. I use that compartment to store my emergency chocolate. People know not to get between me and my chocolate."

"I see," Nick said, slightly amused. "I will leave you with Mr. Andrews then." He moved to the door and slipped out as silently as he had entered.

* * *

After finishing the autopsy, Nat eagerly turned her attention on Nick's sample and prepared a slide. She wished she had an electron microscope at hand. Under her old fashioned light microscope the sample did not look much different from mortal blood cells. She did a count of red cells versus white and noted the numbers down in her book.

Gel-electrophoresis and immunoblotting was next. She wanted to know if Nick's blood consisted of the same proteins usually found in human blood.

Realizing that her experiments would keep her occupied long after sunrise she called the number Nick had given her and informed him that she would not come by this morning. Instead she intended to visit him in the evening as it was her night off.

* * *

Nick was surprised to see Natalie enter the loft with a grocery bag.

"I hope you don't mind that I brought my dinner," she stated. "And I want to try something on you."

That got his attention.

"What happened when you tried to eat, Nick?" Natalie wanted to know.

"I got sick."

"And what exactly was it that you tried?"

"French Fries," Nick stated with a shrug.

Natalie stared at him in disbelief. "Nick, French Fries are not exactly the healthiest food choice. Especially when eaten on a stomach that is not used to digestion. You should try something with more protein. Eggs perhaps. I will make an omelette for you."

Nick looked at her sceptically but allowed her to continue. It did not smell bad when she placed it in front of him. Very carefully he put a spoonful into his mouth and swallowed. Much to his surprise it went down easily. He beamed at her and continued to eat until the plate was empty.

"See?" Nat asked triumphantly. But her triumph soon turned into concern when she noticed the sudden tension in his body.

The omelette rested like a ball in his stomach. A moment later he dashed into the bathroom.

When Nat followed hesitantly she found him emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. She stroked his back for comfort, mumbling soothing words and apologies.

"Nat," he rasped in a strained voice. "Get away from me."

There was something in his voice that told her not to question his request. When he turned around, a yelp of surprise escaped her as she saw that his fangs were extended and his eyes a blazing red. She didn't know that they could turn red. She had seen them golden once but this red looked really scary. Keeping her distance she watched as he staggered towards the fridge and almost ripped out the door. He grabbed a bottle, pulled out the cork and upended it in hasty swallows. A second followed in the same fashion and a third was left half empty when he set it on the table, breathing heavily.

After calming down he cast a concerned look at Nat. Why she had not run in horror from the loft was beyond his understanding. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Natalie was touched by his concern. "I should be the one asking you that question," she replied. "I just managed to get you genuinely sick."

"I'll be alright by sunset. But aren't you scared to death?"

Natalie crossed over to him and touched him gently on the shoulder. "Scared? No. I admit I was a little shocked because I didn't know that this could happen. But hey, there's nothing wrong by a casual rush of adrenaline now and then."

He stared at her in wonder. "You are an amazing woman, Natalie Lambert," he stated. Then he took her hand and placed a soft kiss upon it.

Natalie stood entranced. That moment she knew that she was getting attracted to him.

"You should go now. I need some rest," he stated, rousing her from her dreams.

"Are you sure you are alright?" she asked before walking to the door.

"I am. Don't worry," he assured her.

After the lift door had closed Nick let his head sink into his hands. He had been so close to killing her. When she had stroked his back with her warm hands she had been so close. It would have been easy to simply give in and take her. That he had spared her made him proud somehow.

* * *

When Natalie returned home, she thought over what had happened this night. Simply changing his diet from blood to normal food was obviously not the solution. Nevertheless, she believed that giving him proteins to eat was the right track. Perhaps solid food was the problem. She intended to try something fluid the next time.

* * *

On her next night off she brought a couple of videos to the loft. "I thought we could watch some of these on that big TV screen of yours," she said.

Nick browsed through the tapes, looking at her questioningly after he had read the titles. Natalie had rented every vampire movie that had been in store.

"I thought you might be able to tell me if they were accurate or not," she explained sheepishly, hoping for a chance to finally get Nick to talk about his life as a vampire in general.

"You did not need to rent them, Natalie. I have most of them myself," he confessed.

"Really?" Nat asked in surprise, happy to have found a common interest.

"Yes, I guess it comes with the territory," he replied.

"So, which one is your favourite?" Nat wanted to know.

"The one with Frank Langella as Dracula and Laurence Olivier as van Helsing," Nick replied after a moment of thought.

"Oooh, I love that, too," Nat agreed. "Shall we start with this one?"

"I don't know," Nick said, suddenly hesitating. "There are some scenes that are pretty intense."

Natalie furrowed her brows. "What do you mean by that?"

Nick took a deep breath. "I might be getting hungry," he confessed.

"Oh," Nat said, feeling at a loss. "Perhaps we should start with something else then. How about a comedy, ‘Love at first Bite' perhaps?"

"George Hamilton is the worst vampire I've ever seen," Nick groaned.

"I know it is quite hilarious, but far from intense."

"Okay," Nick agreed and popped the tape into the recorder.

It was indeed funny. He enjoyed watching Natalie laugh immensely. Sometimes he found it astonishing that she could laugh at scenes he would have considered rather scary for a mortal.

It came totally unexpected and he hastily excused himself and made a quick dash into the kitchen.

When he returned with a bottle and a glass, Nat shot him a curious glance. "Don't tell me that was intense. I mean, everybody knows that it is just some kind of blackcurrant juice," Nat stated, giggling.

"Well, it was so --- red," he said sheepishly.

They continued to watch the movie, with Nat often bursting into new fits of giggles. At the end she turned to him and said solemnly, "Nick, do garlic, crosses and wooden sticks really work?"

Nick remained silent a long time before replying. "Yes, that part was true, but apart from that the rest was pretty much nonsense," he continued in a lighter tone.

"I thought as much," Nat said.

When the tape had rewound, Nick went to the recorder and popped in another.

Natalie cast him an astonished look as the names of Frank Langella and Laurence Olivier appeared on the screen. They watched the movie for the most part in silence. Nat observed how he repeatedly took long swallows from his glass. When she shot a glance at him during the scene where Lucy was brought across, her heart skipped a beat.

He sat there, his attention totally focused on the screen. His eyes were golden and she could see the tips of his fangs protruding from his slightly opened lips.

She thought it best not to catch his attention and kept her silence, but was unable to draw her eyes from him. There was a feral beauty about him in this state that made him dangerously attractive.

Minutes later he suddenly grabbed his glass and emptied it in one swallow. After he had refilled it to the brim, he became aware of her stare and realized that he had changed. Quickly he emptied the second glass and forced the vampire to retract. "I told you so," he remarked hoarsely with a shrug.

"Uhu," was all Natalie managed to mumble and turned her attention back to the screen.

"I guess, that one was more accurate," she ventured to ask as the end credits rolled over the screen.

"Not really," he replied in a slightly rough voice.

"Is that how vampires are made?" she asked. "By drinking the blood from their masters?"

Nick cringed slightly at her use of the word 'master'. "They have to be drained first, before their blood is getting replaced. It is a subtle art to stop at the right moment," he explained gloomily, thinking of his failures throughout the centuries.

Natalie left it at that. She was satisfied with the information she had managed to gain tonight. Better not to prod him into divulging more details, as this was obviously a topic that caused him pain. "I think, I'll be heading home now," she stated, gathering her popcorn bowl and empty soda cans. "Thanks, Nick. I enjoyed tonight immensely. Perhaps we can repeat that another time?"

Nick nodded, still amazed how she could stand his company an entire evening, especially with his lacks in control. He helped her into her coat and opened the lift door for her. "Good night, Natalie. It has been a while since I had someone laugh in my company," he stated.

She squeezed his hand in affection and stepped into the lift.

* * *

When Natalie came on her next night off, she noted a vintage Cadillac parked in front of the warehouse. "Is that yours out there?" she asked as she stepped out of the lift.

Nick nodded, slightly amused at the enthusiastic gleam in her eyes.

"Wow, can we take a ride in it?"

Nick raised his eyebrows. "Now?"

"Why not. I have not eaten anything yet. We could make a short stop at a diner and then return for our movie night."

"As milady wishes," Nick said, bowing slightly. He grabbed his coat and followed her into the elevator. He opened the passenger door for her before heading to the driver's side. "I bought it when it was brand new in 1962 and somehow I could not part with it over the years," he explained.

"Well, it certainly serves to impress a girl," Natalie stated, causing both of them to laugh.

* * *

They had just left the diner when Natalie's cell phone rang. After answering the call she turned to Nick. "I'm sorry. That was the office. I'm on call tonight. Do you mind to drop me off at the crime scene?"

"Not at all," Nick replied and opened the passenger door for her. "Homicide?" he asked after he had jumped into the driver's seat.

"Yes, one man shot, another escaped," Nat answered.

Nick dropped her off at the scene, then searched for an empty parking spot which he found a block down the road. Unnoticed he returned to the crime scene and mingled among the crowd that had been attracted by the commotion. He saw Natalie making her way over to a balding man in a trenchcoat.

"Hey, Schanke, what are you doing here?" she asked him.

"They still haven't found a replacement for McRaney. So the Captain called in the dayshift to take turns in covering his shift. I can understand why nobody wants to do nightshift anymore. It just does not match with your stomach. I mean, who wants to eat a souvlaki in the middle of the night?"

"Come on, Schanke. It's not that bad. You don't know what you are missing," Natalie replied and crouched down beside the body to start her prelims. "What do we have?" she asked Schanke.

"Looks like a robbery gone bad. This is Mr. Frosco, owner of the variety store over there. Witnesses say an armed man entered, wanting the money. After he got what he wanted, Mr. Frosco had drawn the gun from under his counter and followed the guy outside. After he had fired a random shot, the perp returned fire, obviously more successful."

He was interrupted by a uniformed officer who called from the other side of the parking lot. "Detective, we found traces of blood here. Looks like the perp has been hit as well."

Schanke headed in that direction. "Then he probably hasn't gotten far yet." He called two uniforms to follow him and departed in the direction the blood trail led him.

Nick watched the interaction between the detective and the coroner from a distance. Then he retreated into the shadows and took to the air. Soon he was ahead of the detective and his search party. He cast out his senses and followed the sweet scent of blood that permeated the air. It led him into an alley where a heartbeat alerted him to the other's presence. Again he took to the air and discovered the perp lying in cover behind a dumpster, his gun aimed at the mouth of the alley where the detective was sure to appear any minute.

Without hesitation Nick landed behind the perp who turned around at the sudden whooshing sound behind him. He gasped as he beheld a red-eyed vision hissing at him though extended fangs. Before he had the chance to shoot, he was knocked unconscious.

Nick disappeared, watching from the rooftop as the detective entered the alley, surprised to find the perp unconscious on the ground.

* * *

Natalie had finished her prelim on Mr. Frosco when word reached her that the perp had been found. She was called to the alley in order to take a look at his wound. On her way she was surprised to see the Caddy parked at the curb, but looking around she found that Nick was nowhere in sight. Shrugging she headed into the alley where the perp had just regained consciousness.

"Strangest story I ever heard", Schanke told her. "The guy claims a red-eyed demon overwhelmed him. I'll make sure they'll do a full drug test on him."

Nat had her own suspicions at what had happened although she did not have any clue how Nick had managed to get here ahead of the police.

She dressed the wound on the perp's leg before returning to the parking lot. On her way she noticed that the Caddy was gone now. She climbed into the coroner's van and rode to the morgue, determined to question Nick about this later.

* * *

The sun had already risen when Natalie stepped out of the elevator. She plopped down on the couch beside Nick and studied him intently. "This guy who was arrested tonight had to undergo a drug test because he claimed something about a red-eyed demon having overwhelmed him. Why do I have the feeling that he was telling the truth?"

A light smile played around Nick's lips as he answered her. "Because he did?"

"Okay, I figured that much. But how and why?"

"Why? He was about to shoot that detective you've been talking to. I thought that was reason enough."

"But how did you know where he was?"

Nick's face became serious again. "I'm a hunter, Nat. All my senses are designed to track down prey, especially when they leave a pretty obvious trail of blood."

"And how did you get out of the alley unnoticed?"

"I -- ah -- I took the other way round."

Nat furrowed her brows. "Nick, there was no other way round. It was a dead end."

"Not for me," he replied cryptically.

"Anyway, you set an end to a series of bloody assaults tonight. The guy has been responsible for at least four similar incidents. That is great, Nick. You should celebrate."

"There is nothing to celebrate, Natalie. That was only a minor atonement in relation to the evil I have committed in the past."

Natalie did not know what to say. She watched him staring gloomily on the ground. There was so much guilt written on his face. "But you are not evil anymore, Nick. I am sure continuing with these good little deeds is a step in the right direction."

She was relieved when he looked up from his brooding, a flicker of hope lighting his dark features.

* * *

Captain Stonetree eyed the man sitting opposite from him intently before turning his attention back to the folder on his desk. "And you are sure that you want to work the permanent nightshift? No changes after a period of three months trial?"

"I am sure, Captain," Nick answered determinedly. "As you will have read in my medical report I do not have much of a choice."

"Yes, severe allergy to sunlight. But apart from that there are no further handicaps that prevent you from working?"

"No, Captain."

"I have here a special recommendation from your former Captain to let you work alone, without a partner."

"I have been able to achieve the best results that way."

"That is rather unusual. I don't like my people going out without backup. I will let you go solo for now as we have a shortage on nightshift personnel. But I want you to call for backup in case the situation affords it. Understood?"

"Perfectly, Captain," Nick said.

"Good. Welcome aboard then, Detective Knight. Miller will show you a desk and everything else you need to know." Captain Stonetree rose from his chair and extended his hand to Nick. Then he beckoned Sergeant Miller to show Nick around.

Natalie entered the bullpen and was immediately called into Stonetree's office. After she had stated her latest autopsy report he told her, "While you are here I'd like you to meet our new nightshift detective. He transferred from Chicago."

He led her towards a desk where a blond man was busy arranging his drawers. "Nick, I'd like you to meet our coroner, Dr. Natalie Lambert. You will work together a lot."

Natalie suppressed a gasp as the man turned around and smiled at her.

"Natalie, this is Detective Nicholas Knight, the newest addition to Toronto's finest."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Lambert," Nick said without any trace of familiarity.

Natalie swallowed before mumbling, "Likewise."

"Natalie, why don't you take Detective Knight with you back to the morgue and show him around there," Captain Stonetree suggested.

"Sure, why not. Follow me, Detective," she said stressing the last word more than necessary.

When they were alone in the car, Natalie turned to her passenger. "Okay, spill it, Nick. What the hell is going on?"

"Oh, I thought it might be easier if I could visit you in the morgue on official business. I would not need to hide in the closet every time your assistant comes in."

"But you can't just claim that you are a detective. There are career steps to be taken. You need to go to the academy first."

Nick stopped her with a gesture. "Nat, I've been to the academy, although it has been some decades ago. But trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"But you have practically no experience. Crimes aren't solved by elated senses alone."

"I'd say 700 years on the other side of the law are experience enough. Don't you think?"

Natalie was speechless at that. "I don't know. What of your papers? I mean, you must have presented Stonetree some sort of recommendation."

"Everything has been taken care of. Would you stop worrying? I have all the papers to prove that I am Detective Nicholas Knight."

"Including an ID and a birth certificate?"

"Including that."

"I don't know. I don't think starting a career in law enforcement with faked papers is a good idea."

"Natalie, it is a common thing to provide ourselves with a new ID every now and then. Otherwise we would not be able to live among mortals for long."

Natalie knew she was running out of arguments. She continued to drive in silence until she reached the coroner's building. There she introduced him to the staff including Grace and pretended to show him around.

When she returned with him to her car, intend on driving him back to the precinct he stopped her. "You don't need to drive me back there. I know you are busy. I will get there by myself. See you later, Nat." With that he leapt into the air and vanished right before her eyes.

"Oh my God," Natalie breathed, getting a tight hold on her car to keep herself from staggering.

* * *

Nick was amused when Natalie rushed into his loft as soon as she had finished work.

"Now you have some explaining to do, Mister," she started. "Did I have a hallucination or did you really fly tonight?"

Nick watched her in amusement. "What do you think?" he asked instead of answering her question.

"I think that flying is totally impossible," Nat stated unconvincingly.

"Just as impossible as the existence of vampires?" Nick teased her.

"Okay, no argument there," she said, defeated. "But you could have mentioned that earlier."

"But that would have spoiled all the fun of seeing your face when you found out."

"Okay, do you have any other hidden talents?" Nat inquired curiously.

Nick held up a finger in rejection. "No, no. Not more information than absolutely necessary."

Natalie swatted him in frustration. She had gotten her fair share of funny stares from Grace tonight after she had returned to the morgue flustered and totally out of it. She would not be surprised if Grace started a pool on her and Nick this very night.

* * *

The first scene Nick was called to was a stabbing in China Town. When he approached the body, the heavy blood scent that hung in the air made him slightly dizzy.

Natalie looked up from her examination and regarded him sceptically as he brushed his hand across his mouth. "Are you alright?" she asked, when he hesitated to step any closer.

"Yeah, it's just that the blood is very fresh. He cannot be dead for long, right?"

Nat was surprised by his accurate guess. "I'd say between one and two hours. You can tell that from the scent?"

"Uhu," Nick nodded.

"Perhaps you should be a coroner instead of a detective," Nat joked, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"No, thank you," he replied. "Do we have an ID?"

"Yes, according to his driver's license this is Mr. Wu Ling. Apart from that his pockets were empty. Looks like a robbery. He was killed with a knife. And that is about all I can tell you right now until I have him in the lab."

She gave instructions for bagging the body. "I guess, I'll see you in the morgue then, Detective," she said before heading towards the coroner's van. She still had her doubts about Nick's ability to solve crimes and was curious how he would handle this one.

Nick turned to the officer who had been the first on the scene. "Who found the body?"

He was led to a young Asian who introduced himself as Lee. "I work for the restaurant around the corner and was about to dispose the garbage when I saw him lying beside the dumpster."

"Do you know who he is?" Nick asked.

"Yes, it is Mr. Ling, the owner of the antique store down the street."

"Thank you Mr. Lee. That will be all for now. Officer Headly will take you to the precinct for a written statement." He nodded to Headly to take Lee to the precinct. Then he walked towards the antique store Lee had mentioned.

It was closed, so he rang the bell that belonged to the apartment above the store. After a couple of minutes an old Chinese woman opened the door.

"Mrs. Ling?" Nick asked. "I am Detective Knight, Metro Homicide," he introduced himself after he had received a nod from the woman. "May I come in?"

He was led through the shop into a living-room.

"Are you related to a Mr. Wu Ling?" Nick asked after he had taken a seat.

"I am his mother. But my son is not home right now. I have been wondering where he had gone. He did not say he would stay out for long after he had closed the shop."

"I'm afraid he's dead, Mrs. Ling. We found his body a block from here," Nick informed her as gently as possible.

"No," the woman stammered. "He had just returned to us after his father's death."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Ling. Do you think you can answer a couple of questions?"

The woman nodded. She had her emotions well under control, Nick observed.

"Was your son the owner of this store?" he asked.

"Yes, he took it over after my husband died a month ago. He had been in Hong Kong and returned to take over the store."

"Are there any other employees?"

"There is Mr. Kwan who ran the store during my husband's illness. He is a very kind and helpful man. I don't know what we would have done without him. And there is Miss Soo, our decorator."

"Can you give me their addresses?" Nick inquired.

"Sure," Mrs. Ling answered and proceeded to write it down on a piece of paper.

"Thank you," Nick said, slipping the paper in his pocket. "That will be all for now. I will stay in touch." Nick stepped out of the shop and returned to his car.

He decided to visit Mr. Kwan next. When the door opened, Nick could tell from the wild beating heart that he had found his quarry. "Mr. Kwan, I have to ask you to accompany me to the precinct for a statement on the murder of Mr. Ling," he informed him after he had explained the cause of his visit.

Although Kwan's heart rate quickened once more, his outer appearance remained friendly and relaxed. "Of course, Detective. I will do anything to help the police."

* * *

"Who have you brought here, Nick?" Stonetree asked as Mr. Kwan was brought into the interview room.

"Possible suspect," Nick stated. "He worked for Mr. Ling."

"Nick, that guy does not look like he could harm a mouse," Stonetree said sceptically. "Everybody, including Mrs. Ling has described him as a friendly and most dutiful citizen."

"And I think that's just a mask to fool everybody." He entered the interview room with Stonetree trailing behind. "Mr. Kwan, when did you last see Mr. Ling?" Nick began the questioning.

"Around 6:00 o'clock, that's the time I leave the store every evening."

"And you returned home right away?"

"Yes, I picked up a paper at the newsstand down the street and returned home."

"Do you have an alibi for the evening?"

"No, I live alone. Do I need one?" Kwan asked convincingly in disbelief.

Nick focused on Kwan's heartbeat and let his voice drop slightly. "You might want to reconsider your statement, Mr. Kwan. What did you do after you returned home?"

Captain Stonetree suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He had no idea what happened, but the atmosphere in the room had suddenly changed into something threatening. And the aura was not coming from the suspect but from his detective.

He noticed Kwan staring wide-eyed into Knight's eyes, a hint of fear very evident on his face. Then he answered in a monotonous voice, "I picked up a knife and returned to the alley to wait for Mr. Ling to go for his evening stroll."

"And then you attacked him from behind," Nick stated in the same deep voice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He had no right to take over the store. He never cared for the store or for his father before. I was the one who managed everything. And when the old man died he just appeared out of nowhere and took everything from me."

"Thank you, Mr. Kwan. You may call your lawyer now," Nick said, breaking the contact and left the room, followed by Stonetree.

"That was amazing, Nick! Congratulations. I would never believed that he had done it if he had not confessed it himself. How did you know?"

"Just intuition, Captain. I can tell quite well when people are lying. There's often a darker side hidden when people appear as harmless as he did."

"You may be right on this one, Nick," Stonetree stated, thinking the same could be applied to his new detective.

* * *

Nick entered the morgue to find Natalie busy typing up a report. "Hey, Nat," he said, smiling as she jumped in her seat.

"Hey, word of your heroic arrest already got round," Nat said. "I guess I owe you an apology. You really seem to know what you are doing."

"Does that mean you were doubting my ability, Dr. Lambert?" Nick asked in a teasing tone.

"Let's say, as a scientist, I wanted to see the proof before believing anything," she answered in a smile. "They say you were the only one who suspected the guy. Do you want to tell me how you came to that conclusion."

"His heart rate betrayed him," Nick said in a casual tone.

"You can hear people's heartbeats?" Natalie squeaked.

Nick took both of her hands in his and looked her deep in the eyes. Nodding in the affirmative he whispered, "And yours is quickening every second right now". Smiling knowingly, he placed a kiss on her hand. Then he vanished abruptly, leaving her in a state of emotional turmoil.

And so it began.

FIN


End file.
